​Stick to what I know, make it my own, stay true to the path and believe....I can do that.​​Oh, whilst I'm here, I wish to welcome Paul to our school. Paul mate, there is a goodness in you and it shows, welcome.]]>Wed, 01 Feb 2017 15:48:51 GMThttp://www.appliedvt.co.uk/my-blog/ok-okso-its-2017-and-i-havnt-posted-here-yet-this-year

2017....Staying positive, training what we have always trained. Taking it apart, putting it back together, staying as fit as our lifestyles will let us. deciding to just be ourselves...​That's what 2017 will be all about.

Probably....!!​OK, so here's the thing. We don't do kick boxing, Thai or otherwise, cool as it is. We don't do Ju Jitsu or boxercise, they're cool too, but its not what we do. ​We don't have a fancy gym, or fancy anything, cool as that might be too. We don't supply protein shakes or tins of Tuna.​We don't fill up our system with filler, fluff or stuff to look good. ​We don't add or water down, or borrow from someone else's martial art, because ours is lacking in some way.​What we did right from the start, was make the right choice.​Applied Wing Chun, probably the best Wing Chun in Somerset, Probably !!​

We just love Wing Chun, we love what we do and to be honest I couldn't imagine a life without it. Bad day at work, home, having just one of those days...​Meeting once or twice a week with like minded individuals to unravel and unpick even the smallest piece of this amazing system, is like having a permanent connection to a giant stress ball. ​Loving it for the West country

Phew, I am glad that's over. Too much Christmas sugary treats all round me thinks.Just have to get to the other side of the New Year celebrations and I am done.I am going to make a conscious effort to improve myself this coming year, mind (yeah I know doh!!), body and soul.​​The only thing that is an absolute for me, is my desire to improve. I know it wont always be easy and sometimes it appears to be impossible. I keep telling myself, that as long as I keep putting one foot in front of the other, as long as I am moving forward, for me, its a positive result.

A big thing, that I personally have come to realise this past year was the answer to the question, What am I actually training for!?Am I learning how to fight? be that violent person, that archetype of one that inflicts atrocity and pain? Am I a violent individual?I do know that which ever way you cut it, there are arguments on either side of the fence and both have equal standing. Is it for recognition, for self gratification, for belief? How others view who I am. My Ego. How do I fit into everything? A million other reasons known to everybody else, but not ​me?​​I realised that I have to be the me, that is right for me, not the me, that my friends want me to be, or the me, my family want me to be, or the me, that my students and training partners want me to be.​

I train because it gives me a place of quiet in my mind, a moment of absolute stillness. This is my personal place, away from the grind of the day. Its where I step back, taking stock of day to day events. training helps to cleanse my mind of negative dross and make my body feel real by intelligent movement and when the two come together, when I get it right (when :), I feel charged and ready for whatever life throws at me.

I don't train because I want, or wish, to be violent towards another. Some would say, what if? I get that, but that's not how I tick. I really don't believe that some meathead is going to appear out of nowhere and violently mug me, my family, etc etc etc and I need to stay sharp, just incase.

Ok, fine, it could happen and does every night of the week, somewhere to someone and if it did happen to me, I would probably have a proper meltdown and not be able to do anything except give the attacker my phone and my wallet. I would become a complete jelly and just cease to function on a basic level. You never know what's going to happen.......Anything and everything could and does happen. The difference now, compared to when I started Kung Fu 24 years ago. Is that, where once I was petrified, now I am still petrified, but now also, I just don't give a sh**....That's not to be confused with, I don't care. What I mean is simply this. Being attacked now sits at the very bottom of my priorities list. If I am out somewhere and I get attacked, I will deal with it in the there and then and not waste any of the precious time I have worrying about if it should happen. ​ If I am honest, 24 years ago, I started training because I was afraid of violence. Raw violence aimed at me in particular. That still holds true and I am still afraid of it, completely. Training now though, that's for my inner quiet and I love it.

Its a New Year, another year and another mountain of life, training and experiences. I will try my best to move forward and evolve my mind, body and spirit, constantly.

Another year is nearly over, so I thought I should write a blog.I would like to thank Drew and Chris, for their huge work effort this past year...In many ways they are the backbone of our school and they pretty much run the class in its day to day.Thankyooooo for my new long pole you two, I love it xx.​I would like to welcome Sean, our newest recruit. He is a good lad, full of enthusiasm, with a good eye for the system.Mark mate, where the is your bio???I know your a good looking chap an all, but I need some input xElmira, we love you...as our resident lady, so proud of you :) I would like a short bio from you too!Anyways guys, your all fantastic, you have all been the bestest best this past year and I couldn't wish for a better team. Happy Christmas xx​​​​​​

Seeing as you read the last post, here is another one :)As the title says, it happens because you guys make it happen. Its your class, you get up and drag yourselves to class week in, week out.I just pay the rent, you guys do the work, well done everyone.​ ​

For Mark.....he is the only person who reads this stuff :)Its been a hard year for me, I have had loads of external pressure, family, work, just life doing what life does. None of this has been class related though, kinda!! Class seems to roll along nicely on its own these days. Its taken some doing, but finally it feels like I can stand back and trust that everyone just knows there place and where they are at. Maybe it was always meant to be this way, maybe I just get too involved. Maybe its because I do actually care about my guys and gals...I can sense instructors the world over, shrinking back in utter horror...Care about your students....!!!I train my guys all the time, accuracy, timing, distance. Nobody actually needs, or should get hurt n class and they don't. Recently I have realised that its about more than the sum of its parts. Its a way to develop skills, for sure. But those skills don't stop in the class, they evolve and mature into every part of our lives.Mark mate, keep training that stance and all will be good in the end and Malchom, keep the force strong for all of us :)​

]]>Wed, 16 Sep 2015 14:18:34 GMThttp://www.appliedvt.co.uk/my-blog/can-he-sing-yes-he-cankindaWell its the end of another awesome Summer of training. How's things in our club?